Insemination

Maureen O'Brien Moomjy, MD, FACOG

If you have fertility issues that may be due to the sperm not reaching your egg, or that are unexplained, intrauterine insemination (IUI) deposits a concentrated specimen of the most motile sperm directly into your uterus. At her practice in the Upper East Side of New York City, near Midtown, Maureen Moomjy, MD, FACOG, offers expert fertility assessment and IUI treatments. The lab for insemination services at her practice is licensed by the New York State Department of Health, and she has over 20 years of experience in helping couples and individuals conceive. Call Dr. Moomjy to schedule your consultation today.

Insemination Q & A

What is intrauterine insemination?

IUI is a fertility treatment during which Dr. Moomjy places concentrated motile sperm directly into your uterus to facilitate fertilization. It’s a treatment option if your infertility stems from issues that prevent sperm from reaching your uterus, such as:

Limited sperm motility

Low sperm count

Scant or overly thick cervical mucus

Cervical scar tissue

Unexplained infertility

IUI is less invasive than in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatments. It gives the sperm an advantage by placing concentrated motile sperm directly into the uterus, but IUI cannot give information regarding fertilization unless a pregnancy occurs.

What is the IUI process?

Your insemination process begins with a thorough fertility assessment. Dr. Moomjy runs a variety of tests on you and your partner to identify the issue that is getting in the way of natural conception. If IUI can increase your potential to conceive, she begins the process.

You take an ovarian stimulating medicine like Clomid® or Letrozole to encourage your ovaries to produce ideally 2 follicles, with each containing a mature egg in an effort to increase your chances of pregnancy. Dr. Moomjy monitors your cycle, so she can time an additional medication called Ovidrel® that will release the mature egg(s) within 36 hours. This permits optimal timing of the IUI procedure.

On the day of the IUI procedure, Dr. Moomjy incubates semen from your partner or a donor in a separation gradient to create a concentrated specimen of the healthiest and most motile sperm.

When you are ovulating, Dr. Moomjy performs the insemination procedure. She inserts a thin sterile catheter into your uterus and presses or instills the concentrated sperm sample in the middle of the uterine cavity. The insemination procedure only takes a few minutes and isn’t painful, but there may be some pelvic pressure that occurs briefly during the procedure.

After your IUI, you rest for 15 minutes, and then you are encouraged to go about your normal activities and may return to work.

Am I a good candidate for IUI?

IUI may be a fertility treatment option for you if you’re in good health and your fertility issue is due to reduced sperm parameters, reduced cervical mucus or poor postcoital test, or if you have unexplained infertility with a normal work up. Dr. Moomjy offers extensive fertility testing and counseling to learn more about your infertility before recommending IUI or another fertility treatment.

If you’ve been trying to get pregnant for a year — or six months if you’re 35 or older — without success, call Dr. Moomjy to schedule a consultation today for compassionate and expert fertility testing and treatment.